Folding drying rack



Jan. 20, 194 8. w, SWANSQN 2,434,891

FOLDING DRYING RACK Filed Feb. 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheetl A TTO/PNE Y INVENTOR. I i: 2 L CLARENCL'WJWA/VfO/M '5 2/ I By 57 Q 1948- c. w. SWANSON FOLDING DRYING RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 19, 1946 INVENTOR.'

62 ARE/v0: W 5wA/vsa/v A rromvzv Patented Jan. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING DRYING RACK Clarence W. Swanson, Denver, Colo.

Application February 19, 1946, Serial No. 648,738

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a folding .laundry device for household installation, and has for its principal object the provision of :a neat, compact, and highly .efiicient unit which will -fold completely into the thickness of the usual household partition, and which can be extended to provide a supporting bar for large pieces such as tablecloths, sheets, etc., and a drying rack .for drying pieces before ironing.

Another object of the invention is to .provide a drying rack which, when folded, will occupy .-but a minimum-of space in the room partition; which, when extended, will provide four sets of adjustable drying arms for supporting the pieces to be dried; and which can'be quickly and easilyr erected drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts inall views of the :drawing and-throughout thedescription.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete invention in the partiall extended position;

Fig. 2 is .a face view .of the folding household .laundrydevice with the variouselements in their folded position;

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections, taken on the lines 33 and 4--4, respectively, .in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail section looking upwardly on the line 5-5, Fig. 2;

Fig. .6 is a similar detail section looking .downwardly on the .1ine 66, Fig. 7; .and

Fig. 7 is a detail section, taken on the line J-.T,.Fig.6.

The device is contained within a wall box I!) which may be secured .on .or set into a wall. As illustrated, the box It is set into a wall ll and provided withasuitable frame 12 which surrounds .thebox on the surface .of the wall.

The device is closed when it is not inuse by means ofsuitablehinged doors l3. .Averticalpar- 'tition l4, divides the box into twocompartments, which willbe herein designated an ironing board ompartment l5 and a rack compa ment 16.-

While the device as illustrated combines the ironing compartment and the rack compartmen .it is, of course, possible that these two compart- ..ments could be separated and used independently of each other; that .is, in some installations only the rack compartment would be installed, and in others only the ironing board compartment.

The ironing board compartment is designed to contain a main ironing board I! and a secondary ironing board .18. The secondary board is provided for ironing small articles and for entering .sleevesof garments, etc. The main ironing board is hinged as shown at 2| to a cross block l9 secured .to a-vertically movable backing frame 20. The secondary ironing board is hinged to the upper edgeof the backing :frame 20. The backing frame is vertically movable in the box llll behind vertical guidestrips .2 2.

This enables the ironing boards to be raised after they have been opened from the boxllfl to enab e a diagonal supporting leg 23 to be inserted .into the bottom of the box l0 to support the ironing board. The leg 23 is mounted on a U-shaped hinge member 24 beneath the bottom of the board .I .1 which enables its position to be changed with relation to the board to properly position it when used as a brace. The secondary board 18 .is supported when in use from the main board I] by means of a hinged leg 25 which swings downwardlyand rests on the main board. Both boards are supported in their folded position by means of turn buttons 26.

The rack compartment l6 serves to conceal a sheet-supporting bar '21 which is hinged at one extremity on a hinge rod 28 extending across the compartment It. The hinged extremity is provided with a bracket 29, also mounted on the hinge rod 28 to maintain the bar 21 at right angles thereto. The bar 21 is supported in the horizontal position by means of a folding toggle brace 35) secured to the side of the box Ill. The bar 21 is positioned to one side of the ironing board I! and above the latter to conveniently support large pieces such as sheets, bed spreads, tablecloths, and the like, while being ironed.

The rack compartment l6 also contains a folding drying rack structure consisting of a channel member 3| which is hinged at its one extremity on a'hinge pin 32 extending across the compartment 16. The channel member is supported in the horizontal position by means of a pair of togside members 34.

brackets 40, are in turn mountedon horizontal hinge pins 4|. This construction allow the hangers 38 to be swung together into parallel relation, thence swung upwardly between the two When the brackets 40 are ture so that it may unfold from a vertical to a horizontal position thereon; a standard hinged adjacent the free extremity of said arm to unfold from a horizontal to a vertical position thereon when said arm is in said horizontal position; a hanger bracket hinged to said standard to unfold from a vertical position parallel to said standard in such position to a horizontal position thereon; and a plurality. of hanger bars hinged to said bracket to unfold from a parallel aligned position to radially flaring positions thereon, said arm having an open channel therein ior receiving said standard when the latter is swung downwardly, they fit into notches 36 inthe sides of the channel member 3| to lock the standard in the vertical position.

The upper hangers 31 are similarly mounted in supporting brackets 42 adjacent the top of the side members34. The supporting brackets 42 are each provided with a a horizontallyeextending hinge pin 43. The extremitiesof the hingepins 43 are horizontally movable in horizontal groove 44 extending across theinside face of each of the side members 34. A stop block 45 is pOsitioned between and above the hingepins 43. W 7 7 When the hangers 31 are extended, theinner extremities of the bracket, members 43 are. positioned beneath the stop block 45, which prevents the hangers from swinging downwardly, as hown in Fig. '7. To fold the hangers, they are pulled outwardly, the hinge pins 43 traveling in the grooves 44 until the inner extremities of the bracket members 42 pass from beneath the'stop block 45. The hangers then can be swung downwardly between the two side pieces 34.

In folding the device, the upper hangers 31 are firstfolded between the side member 34. The

lower hangers 38 are then folded upwardly over the upperhangers and between the members 34.

The latter members are then folded backwardly and downwardly into the channel member 3|, and the latter is folded upwardly into the hanger compartment 16. A- latch is provided for supporting the ironing board H at any desired ele- 45 vation, as shown in Fig. 5. The latch consists of two bolt members 46 which are secured to the extremities of a latch operator 4'! pivoted to block [9. Swinging the operator 4! forces the bolts 46 outwardly against the-sides of the ironing board 50 compartment IE to support the frame l2 at any desired height therein.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and-illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied,

within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A folding clothes hanger comprising: a supfrom ahorizontai to a vertical position thereon when said arm" is in'said horizontal position; a hanger bracket hinged to said standard to unfold from a vertical position parallel to-said standard in such position to a horizontal position thereon; and a plurality of hanger bars hinged to said bracket to unfold from a parallel aligned position to radially flaring positions thereon.

' 2. A folding clothes hanger comprising: asuptureso that it may'unfold from a vertical to a horizontal position thereon; a standard hinged adjacent the free extremity of said arm to unfold from a horizontalto a vertical position thereon whensaid arm is in said horizontal positionpa hanger bracket hinged to said standard to unfold from a vertical position parallel to said standard in such position to a horizontal position thereon; and a plurality of hanger bars hinged to said bracket to unfold from a parallel aligned position" to radially" flaring positions thereon, said standard being hollow to receive said bracket and said hanger bars when folded to the vertical position thereon;

l. A folding'clothes hanger comprisingi a supporting structure; an armhi'nged to said structure so that it may unfold from a vertical to: a, horizontal position thereon; a standard hinged adjacent the free extremity of said arm to unfold from a horizontal to a vertical position thereon when said arm is in said horizontal position; a, hanger bracket hinged to said standard to unfold from a vertical position parallel to said standard in such position to a horizontal position thereon; and a plurality of hanger bars hinged to said bracket to unfold from a parallel aligned position to radially flaring positions thereon, said arm having an open channel therein for receiving said when folded to the vertical position thereon.

5. A folding clothes hanger comprising; asupporting structure; an arm hinged to said structure so that it may unfold from a vertical to a horizontal vposition thereon; a standard hinged adjacent the free extremity of said arm to unfold from a horizontal to a vertical position thereon when said arm is in said horizontal position, said standard being hollow. and having an open side; a lower hanger bracket hinged within the lower portion of said standard in said vertical position; an upper hanger bracket hinged within the upper portionof said bracket, said brackets being positioned to swing outwardly through the open side of said standard to a horizontal position; a plusaid standardbeing hollow and having an open porting structure; an arm hinged to said strucside; a lower hanger bracket hinged within the lower portion of said standard in said vertical position; an upper hanger bracket; a movable hinge mounting said upper hanger bracket hinged within the upper portion of said standard, said brackets being positioned to swing outwardly through the open side of said standard to a horizontal position; a plurality of hanger bars hinged in each bracket member to be extended radially therefrom; and a downwardly projecting block in said standard above and to one side of the upper bracket, the movable hinge of the upper bracket allowing said upper bracket to be positioned beneath said block to support the upper bracket in a horizontal position.

7. A folding clothes hanger comprising: a supporting structure; an arm hinged to said structure so that it may unfold from a vertical to a horizontal position thereon; a standard hinged adjacent the free extremity of said arm to unfold from a horizontal to a vertical position thereon when said arm is in said horizontal position; a hanger bracket hinged to said standard to fold from a vertical position parallel to said standard in such position to a horizontal position thereon; and a plurality of hanger bars hinged to said bracket to unfold from a parallel aligned position to radially flaring positions thereon, said arm having an open channel therein for receiving said standard when the latter is folded to the horizontal position thereon, the sides of said channel being notched to receive said bracket to maintain said standard in a vertical position and to maintain the bracket in a horizontal position.

8. A folding clothes hanger comprising: a supporting structure; an arm hinged to said structure so that it may unfold from a vertical to a horizontal position thereon; a standard hinged adjacent the free extremity of said arm to unfold from a horizontal to a vertical position thereon when said arm is in said horizontal position; a hanger bracket hinged to said standard to fold from a vertical position parallel to said standard in such position to a horizontal position thereon; a plurality of hanger bars hinged to said bracket to unfold from a parallel aligned position to radially flaring positions thereon; and independent releasible means for supporting said arm in its horizontal position, said standard in its vertical position and said bracket in its horizontal position.

CLARENCE W. SWANSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 72,057 Lyman Dec. 10, 1867 777,185 Conner Dec. 13, 1904 1,587,647 Patterson June 8, 1926 

